Recipe Manuscript

Bizcocho Pardo

Name: Bizcocho Pardo
Prep time: PTPT40M
Cook time: PTPT45M
Yield: 16
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 200 grams unsalted butter; 200 grams all-purpose flour; 200 grams granulated sugar; 200 grams dark chocolate, finely grated; 2 whole eggs; 10 egg yolks; 10 egg whites (separate from yolks above); 1 teaspoon baking powder (Royal brand or substitute); 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract; 250 ml whole milk; Chopped cherries (optional, quantity as desired); For filling/decor:; 500 grams heavy cream; 500 grams powdered (confectioner’s) sugar (divided: 200 grams for cream, 300 grams for meringue); 10 egg whites (additional for meringue)

"Bizcocho Pardo"

1919

From the treasured pages of Reposteria de Julia Sanchez Rangel

Written by Julia Sánchez Rangel

Early Modern Kitchen (1900 - 1930)American Intermediate Dessert

Original Recipe • 1919

Original Manuscript(circa Early Modern Kitchen, 1900 - 1930)

As inscribed by the original author's hand, transcribed with care by Lost Kitchen Scrolls

Bizcocho Pardo

"Mantequilla... 200 grs Harina... 200 grs Azucar granulada... 200" Chocolate rayado Hell 200" Huevos enteros... 2.. Royal 1 cuch caf Yemas 10 Claras 10 Vainilla 1/2 gota. Leche 1/4 lit Relleno: Crema de y Decorado: Glass tela London 1/2 K. Manera de hacerlo. Se bate la mantequilla con el azucar y la vainilla, los huevos enteros y las yemas, se bate hasta que quede muy bien mezclado todo; en seguida el chocolate rayado, despues la harina con el royal y por ultimo las claras batidas a punto de turrón y las cerezas picadas se vacía en moldes de corona engrasado y espolvoreado de harina, se mete a' horno regular. Relleno: se bate la crema con 200 grs de azucar pulverizada, aparte se baten las claras a' punto de turrón mezclandole poco a' poco 300 grs. de azucar pulverizada, despues se mezcla todo y con esto se decora poniendo todo esto en el centro de la corona."

English Translation

"Butter... 200 g Flour... 200 g Granulated sugar... 200 g Grated chocolate... 200 g Whole eggs... 2 Baking powder 1 teaspoon Egg yolks 10 Egg whites 10 Vanilla 1/2 drop Milk 1/4 liter Filling: Cream and Decoration: Glass Tela London 1/2 kg. How to make it. Beat the butter with the sugar and vanilla, the whole eggs and the yolks, beat until everything is very well mixed; then add the grated chocolate, afterwards the flour with the baking powder, and finally the egg whites beaten to stiff peaks and the chopped cherries. Pour into greased and floured bundt molds, bake in a moderate oven. Filling: Beat the cream with 200 g of powdered sugar, separately beat the whites to stiff peaks, gradually adding 300 g of powdered sugar, then mix everything together and decorate with this, putting all of it in the center of the bundt."

Note on the Original Text

Recipes from this era favored brevity, assuming cooks were proficient and worked by intuition. Measurements were all in metric but sometimes incomplete ('half a drop vanilla'—really a dash, not literal). The term 'Royal' refers to baking powder, a relatively recent innovation then, giving a lift to this otherwise dense, egg-rich cake. Spelling and grammar hearken to vernacular Spanish of the time; multiple dots and uneven punctuation reflect a notebook-style copy. Instructions leap quickly and expect readers to discern critical steps, like when to fold egg whites or how to judge batter consistency, reflecting the teaching environment for which the book was intended.

Modern Kitchen Interpretation

Recipe's Origin

Reposteria de Julia Sanchez Rangel - Click to view recipe in book

Title

Reposteria de Julia Sanchez Rangel (1919)

You can also click the book image above to peruse the original tome

Writer

Julia Sánchez Rangel

Era

1919

Publisher

Unknown

Background

A delightful handwritten collection of recipes for pastries, traditional desserts, candies, and sweet confections—a charming glimpse into early 20th-century baking, perhaps penned during the second year of a culinary course.

Kindly made available by

University of Texas at San Antonio

Historical Background of the Recipe

Learn about old traditions

This recipe hails from Julia Sánchez Rangel’s 1919 manuscript 'Reposteria', an enchanting glimpse into early twentieth-century Mexican pastry craft. Such handwritten cookbooks often doubled as both personal kitchen companions and classroom notebooks—here, one even marks 'second year' of study, suggesting this was used for culinary instruction. The Bizcocho Pardo, a rich, chocolate-laden sponge, demonstrates the era’s penchant for decadent, egg-rich batters, lavish butter, and copious cream. Elaborate cream and meringue fillings, served in showy ring molds, would have made this cake a show-stopper at festive gatherings or for exams in a pastry course.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

Back in 1919, this cake would have relied heavily on hand tools. A sturdy wooden spoon or wire whisk was used for creaming butter and sugar. Egg whites were whisked by hand—no stand mixers here! A hand-cranked egg beater may have been a helpful luxury. Cake batters were poured into tin or copper ring molds, generously brushed with lard or butter and dusted with flour to prevent sticking. Cakes baked in wood-fired or coal ovens, where keeping a 'moderate' temperature meant gauging heat by experience rather than thermostat.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

40 mins

Cook Time

45 mins

Servings

We've done our best to adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, but some details may still need refinement. We warmly welcome feedback from fellow cooks and culinary historians — your insights support the entire community!

Ingredients

7 ounces unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
7 ounces dark chocolate, finely grated
2 whole eggs
10 egg yolks
10 egg whites (separate from yolks above)
1 teaspoon baking powder (Royal brand or substitute)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup whole milk
Chopped cherries (optional, quantity as desired)
For filling/decor:
2 cups heavy cream
4 cups powdered (confectioner’s) sugar (divided: 1 1/2 cups for cream, 2 1/2 cups for meringue)
10 egg whites (additional for meringue)

Instructions

Begin by creaming together 7 ounces of unsalted butter with 1 cup of granulated sugar and a dash (about 1/2 teaspoon) of vanilla extract until light and fluffy.
Add 2 whole eggs and 10 additional yolks, beating thoroughly so the mixture is smooth and well-combined.
Stir in 7 ounces of finely grated dark chocolate.
Sift together 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour with 1 teaspoon of baking powder (substitute for 'Royal'), and fold into the wet mixture gently.
Separately, whisk 10 egg whites until stiff peaks form, then fold them carefully into the batter to keep the mixture airy.
Optionally, add finely chopped cherries if desired.
Pour the batter into a well-buttered and floured ring-shaped (bundt) mold.
Bake in a moderate oven (about 340°F/170°C) until a toothpick comes out clean.
For the filling and decoration: Whip 2 cups of heavy cream with 1 1/2 cups of powdered sugar until fluffy.
In another bowl, beat 10 egg whites to stiff peaks, gradually adding 2 1/2 cups of powdered sugar to make a meringue.
Combine the whipped cream and meringue gently.
Use this to fill and decorate the center and top of the cake, as tradition would have for a grand presentation.

Estimated Calories

540 per serving

Cooking Estimates

Preparing the ingredients and batter takes about 40 minutes. Baking requires around 45 minutes. Each slice contains a lot of chocolate, cream, and sugar, so it's rich and filling. We estimate the recipe will make about 16 servings, each with roughly 540 calories.

As noted above, we have made our best effort to translate and adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, taking into account ingredients nowadays, cooking techniques, measurements, and so on. However, historical recipes often contain assumptions that require interpretation.

We'd love for anyone to help improve these adaptations. Community contributions are highly welcome. If you have suggestions, corrections, or cooking tips based on your experience with this recipe, please share them below.